Terence Donovan

Terence Donovan was a commercial photographer specializing in fashion portraiture and advertising. He is often associated with fellow photographers Brian Duffy and David Bailey as being shape-shifters and style-makers of the 1960s 'Swinging London' scene. Coming from modest origins in the East End, Donovan spent most of his childhood on the road with his father, who was a lorry-driver. He passed up formal education and started at age eleven as an apprentice at the School of Photo-Engraving on Fleet Street; later landing a position as photo assistant to fashion photographer John French.

Self-driven and highly-ambitious, he set up his own studio in Kensington in 1959. Shooting on 35mm film, his aesthetic was marked by the graininess of the image, spontaneity of portrait poses and their often gritty, industrial London backdrops. His style evoked an informality that strayed from the staged grandeur of traditional portraiture.

In 1963, he was awarded the prestigious Designers and Art Directors award for his impressive portfolio of portraits including Claudia Cardinale, Julie Christie and Celia Hammond. His early work has been showcased in numerous publications including Queen, Man About Town, The Sunday Times, The Observer, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue and The Telegraph. Donovan also had a prolific career in advertising, directing thousands of television commercials throughout his lifetime.